1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery pack and an electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery pack capable of recording setting information of an electronic device and to an electronic device capable of causing device setting information to be recorded in such a battery pack.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional technology, electronic devices in which a user can select and set a function possessed by the device according to the usage situation are known. For example, in video cameras, in order to improve the ease of operation, so-called “initialization” of setting functions, such as the electronic zoom, the recording (image recording) mode, and the on/off state of the automatic focus, can be performed, so that the setting information of the device can be customized to the optimum setting according to the preference of the user and the usage situation.
The setting information of the device which is “initialized” in this manner is stored in a storage device (for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or a ROM (Read Only Memory)) in the device, a memory card which is loadable into and removable from the device, and so on.
Furthermore, a video camera in which a mechanism for loading and removing a memory card into and from the battery pack is provided, which is loaded into the main unit of the video camera and which supplies electrical power thereto, so that still image data of the image which is being photographed by the video camera is recorded in the memory card so that it can be played back, has been developed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-78068 (page 4, FIG. 1)).
However, in the above-described electronic device, when the capacity of the connected battery pack runs out or the battery pack is detached, the supply of electrical power is cut, and the setting information cannot be held. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the battery pack with a new charged battery pack, and “initialization” needs to be performed again. Furthermore, when a device of the same type is borrowed, or a new device or an additional device of the same type is bought, “initialization” needs to be performed once more.
Furthermore, when setting information is to be stored in another recording medium such as a memory card, a mechanism for loading and removing the memory card, etc., and a communication terminal must be provided in the main unit of the electronic device, which makes the configuration complex, and this becomes an obstacle to size reduction of the main unit of the device.
On the other hand, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-78068 described above, the mechanism for loading and removing the memory card is provided on the battery pack side. However, setting information cannot be stored, and similarly to the above-described problems, since a slot and a communication terminal must be provided in the battery pack, the configuration becomes complex, and the cost is increased.